I reviewed this Briar Ridge Dairy Hill many moons ago on release and what a treat it is to see it again over a decade later. Made by Scott Coymns at the time, subsequent vintages saw a change in the making of this wine. Wonderfully smooth and luscious, it's a fabulous Hunter Valley Shiraz.
The label all those years ago suggested to drink this by ten years but its head is still in the game. What was noticeable was the sediment deposits inside the bottle. From top to toe, the inside looks as though it had chicken pox - quite odd and not something I had previously encountered. Despite this, the wine was in very good order.
An expression of dark fruit still can be seen but the savoury goodness reigns supreme. Cola, dark chocolate, licorice, fine spices, boot polish, earth - it's layered and it gently caresses the mouth. Delicate feels swerve about as they course their way through the mouth. Those spices run long and have an impressive gravitational pull as they drag you back for more. A wine with more than respectable shape and polish, it will still hang about for a few years yet.
Drink now to five years.
94/100
Region: Hunter ValleySource: Sample
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